PRIME Minister John Howard has promised to bring back to
Australia the remains of five Australian newsmen killed by
Indonesian troops in East Timor 32 years ago.

Speaking from a car dealership in the safe Liberal seat of
Greenway in western Sydney, Mr Howard promised a re-elected
Coalition government would seek to have the remains of the men
repatriated.

"I think that is a reasonable thing and I can understand the
desire of the families (for repatriation)," Mr Howard said.

NSW deputy coroner Dorelle Pinch last week found that the
newsmen, known as the Balibo Five, were deliberately killed to help
cover up the Indonesian invasion of East Timor.

She recommended that the federal Attorney-General consider
prosecuting those responsible, including military
commander-turned-politician Yunus Yosfiah.

Indonesia has always insisted the Balibo Five were killed in
crossfire in the border town of Balibo during its invasion of East
Timor.

Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer said the Government
would refer the report to the Attorney-General and federal
police.

"They'll have to have a look at it and see what the status of
evidence is, whether there is sufficient evidence for there to be a
brief of evidence sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions," Mr
Downer said.

"All this will take a great deal of time; this is way down the
track."

Mr Downer said collecting the evidence that could be used to
prosecute the accused with war crimes would also be a lengthy
process.

"These are events that occurred many, many years ago now, a very
long time ago.

"So how easy it will be to assemble evidence that might stand up
in a court of law and what all those issues would be would
take a lot of time."

Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd said a Labor government pledged to
adopt the coroner's recommendations, which included bringing back
the remains of the Balibo Five.

"I'm methodical in following the recommendations of the
coroner's report, and the first one  in an absolute clear-cut
commitment from us  it will be referred therefore to the
attorney-general to consider prosecution," Mr Rudd said.

"I've read a bit about what happened in Balibo. I've been to
Balibo, walked up there, I've seen the fort, I've seen where these
blokes lost their lives."

The Coalition and Labor have avoided commenting on whether the
issue could damage relations with Indonesia.

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